Staff report
ALACHUA, Fla. – Early today, authorities in Alachua apprehended 23-year-old Tyler James Palatucci. He is accused of threatening a stranger with a firearm at a local gas station.
The incident occurred around 1:56 a.m. on July 27, prompting an officer from the Alachua Police Department to respond to a report of an armed confrontation at the Circle K located at 16070 U.S. Hwy 441. Upon arriving, the officer learned that the victim had accused Palatucci of pointing a gun at him, instilling fear for his personal safety.
According to a witness, an argument initiated between herself and the victim escalated when Palatucci intervened, taking her side. This interference led to a confrontation between the victim and Palatucci, during which Palatucci allegedly displayed a gun and issued a threat. The witness managed to de-escalate the situation temporarily and convinced Palatucci to hand over his firearm, although he ultimately left the scene in a white sedan.
The officer further reported that while conversing with the witness, a white sedan drove into the gas station’s parking area. As the officer instructed the vehicle’s driver to show his hands, the individual—later confirmed to be Palatucci—allegedly reached inside the car instead. This led the officer to take swift action by subduing Palatucci and placing him in handcuffs.
A search incident to arrest reportedly produced a .38 Special revolver and six rounds of ammunition in his pocket. The officer noted that Palatucci seemed to be extremely intoxicated.
Post Miranda, Palatucci reportedly denied ever being in an argument with the victim or removing his gun from his waistband. When the officer asked how the victim and witness would have known he had a gun, he reportedly said they must have seen it through his shirt; however, the officer noted that he had been unable to see Palatucci’s firearm through his shirt, “due to how deep the firearm was concealed in his waistband.”
On the way to the jail, Palatucci reportedly admitted that he had argued with the victim, but he still denied pointing his gun at the victim; he said, however, that he took his gun out of his waistband “in order to make the witness more comfortable whilst he took an Uber with her.”
Palatucci, who is described as homeless in the arrest report, has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has an unspecified criminal history in Arizona from 2021 to 2025; Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $25,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.